Introducing the LiQUiD house

Author

O'Briant, Alex Kendall

Date

2001

Advisor

Krumwiede, Keith

Degree

Master of Architecture

Abstract

This thesis searches for a new understanding of domestic space by dividing the house into two concepts---Liquid and Solid. As the Solid House has evolved reluctantly over the past century, the Liquid House has experienced revolution after revolution. Defined by market economies, construction standards, pop culture, etc., the Liquid House is an amorphous, constantly shifting figure that overshadows its Solid counterpart. The rise in prominence of the Liquid House is marked by astonishing statistics: The average single-family house has doubled in size in fifty years as lots have grown 25% smaller and households have decreased 15%. As per capita expenditures have tripled and credit card debt has more than doubled, average closet space has increased seven-fold. This thesis explores the ways in which the Liquid House, perpetuated by these statistics, has come to dominate, giving rise to contradictions and paradoxes that simultaneously define and confuse the very essence of domestic life.